It’s Week 5 of the One Room Challenge, which means we have just one week left to finish the boys’ shared bedroom. Less than that really, because I need time to photograph it in order to share it with you on reveal day next Thursday. You’d think that by now, I’d have this six week makeover thing down to a science… that I’d be planning and allocating my time so well that I could maybe finish a day or two early rather than working right down to the wire… but no. It never seems to work out that way, and this will be another race to the finish.
But after a few key deliveries arrived on our doorstep this week and a few challenges figured out, I’m at least confident now that when we do cross the finish line next week, this bedroom will be a winner! {If you haven’t been following along, you might want to pause here to read more about the One Room Challenge and to see the plans for the boys’ room}.
Let’s start with the biggest challenge from this past week – the furniture layout. My original goal was to reuse as much of the nursery furniture as possible, including the dresser that we had been using as a changing table. But once we got the bunk beds assembled and started clearing out boxes to put the other furniture in place, I realized that the dresser just didn’t fit in it’s new location the way I had hoped. Here’s what I originally envisioned for the floor plan…
It looked good in theory, but in reality the dresser was just a little too big for this space, and made the left side of the bookshelf feel crowded and hard to access. After lots of measuring and debating, we ended up deciding to eliminate the dresser in favor of two long and low, overlapping bookcases in the corner of the room.
Before both boys were potty trained, the dresser drawers held all of our extra diapers and changing supplies, as well as lots of other baby essentials. But for the past year or so, the drawers have been largely empty with just some extra sheets and blankets. The new bunk beds have three hidden drawers in the stairs that will provide ample space for extra linens, so we decided we could forgo the dresser in favor of more space for books and toys.
Once we put down the two matching rugs side by side, I was amazed at how this new layout makes the small room feel bigger!
Next up is the part the boys are REALLY excited about! We assembled the bunk beds last week, but the boys hadn’t been able to climb on them yet since they didn’t have mattresses, and it was driving them crazy with anticipation!
Since they’ve both been sleeping in toddler beds, we didn’t own any twin mattresses. I was so excited when GelFoamBed offered to send us a couple to try out because I’ve been hearing for a while now about how comfortable they are, and because I’m kind of fascinated by the idea of mattresses being shipped compressed in relatively small boxes.
The mattresses arrived over the weekend, and to say Cooper was excited would be an understatement! He saw the delivery driver pull up and came running from upstairs yelling, “The mattresses are here! The mattresses are here!”
We decided to take some video of unboxing the mattresses and testing them out for the first time… I love the boys reaction to seeing the mattresses unroll flat and then start “magically” expanding!
GelFoamBed provided us with these mattresses free of charge,
but as always, all opinions are 100% my own!
but as always, all opinions are 100% my own!
Ok, so beyond the magic of watching the mattresses take shape, the first thing you need to know is that these mattresses are CRAZY COMFORTABLE!
Based on the recommended mattress height for the bunk beds, we chose 10″ mattresses, the thinnest of the three mattresses that GelFoamBed offers. This mattress is made in layers, including an Eco Flex Support Core, a layer of Serene Foam in the middle, and a top layer of Gel Infused Foam. I won’t pretend to understand exactly how it all works, but I can tell you that even when all four of us laid on the mattress together {as you saw in the video} it provided the perfect combo of support and softness!
I also love that GelFoamBed uses 100% US materials, and since our older son has some allergies, I like knowing that his mattress is made of safe, non-toxic foam that meets the standards set by the Certi-pur US guidelines. Best of all, GelFoamBed offers a 100 Day Free Trial, free shipping, and a 10 year warranty!
Need new mattresses at your house?! Get $50 each GelFoamBed mattress using code: blueistyle
After thoroughly testing out the mattresses as any little boy would – by jumping all over them…
…the boys were thrilled that they could finally enjoy their bunk beds!
We picked up some super fun bedding for the boys, but you’ll have to wait until next week to see how it all looks on the bed!
SHOP THIS LOOK
Thanks so much for stopping by for another One Room Challenge progress report! Please be sure to hop over to Calling It Home, our fabulous host for this event! On her blog, you’ll find links to all of the weekly updates from the other 200+ participants. So many fun spaces that are nearing completion, and I am getting so excited for the reveals next week!
UPDATE: THE BOYS’ ROOM IS NOW FINISHED! SEE THE BIG REVEAL HERE!
